VERGENNES — Police said drug charges are possible following a Feb. 12 North Main Street incident in which they responded to help Vergennes Area Rescue Squad personnel deal with a man who was apparently overdosing on a drug.
Police said when they drove up a man and a woman were outside their car, and the man was obviously ailing. Police allege he admitted he was having a bad reaction to some heroin he had taken, and VARS took him to Porter Hospital.
Police said they also received consent to search him and the vehicle. They found a bag of urine in his pocket, which police speculate the man was going to use to try to defeat a drug test, and drug paraphernalia in the car, in which there was also a young child.
Police said they gathered enough residue from that paraphernalia to send away for testing, and said they may file charges when testing is complete.
Also, given the recent rash of car and home break-ins and entries, Chief George Merkel is advising residents to be careful about remembering to lock their cars and homes, and not leaving valuables in their vehicles.
In other action between Feb. 11 and 17, Vergennes police:
•  On Feb. 11 were told by a Booska Court resident that unauthorized expenses totaling abut $2,000 had been run up on his credit card in Virginia; police told him to notify his bank, which issued the card, and the attorney general’s office about the case of credit card or identity theft.
•  On Feb. 11 investigated a report of breaking glass and banging metal at the Gevry Trailer Park on Maple Street Extension in Waltham. Police found footprints and other evidence.
•  On Feb. 11 and 12 backed up Vermont State Police at two separate stops while troopers searched the cars for drugs on Main Street.
•  On Feb. 12 checked out a report of an assault at Northlands Job Corps and determined two students had fought and no charges were warranted.
•  On Feb. 12 checked the welfare of a Main Street resident, who was found to be fine; family members had not been able to reach him because he had a new cell phone number.
•  On Feb. 13 dealt with a minor car accident at Vergennes Union Elementary School.
•  On Feb. 13 investigated the theft of an iPod and headphones at Vergennes Union High School; police said they expect to cite at least one juvenile in this case.
•  On Feb. 13 and 14 accepted prescription drugs for destruction from three residents.
•  On Feb. 13, 14 and 15 helped a woman deal with a troublesome ex-boyfriend. On the 13th they responded to a report of an argument at a Main Street apartment, but he had left by the time they arrived. On the 14th, they stopped his car and issued a temporary restraining order and heard from the woman that he was allegedly following her. On the 15th, she told police he was harassing her by phone, and police and court officials expanded the restraining order to ban him from making any contact with her.
•  On Feb. 14 referred a report of a sex offense on a school bus to the newly formed Addison County Unit for Special Investigations.
•  On Feb. 14 investigated a minor two-car accident at the junction of Main Street and Monkton Road in which one driver left the scene.
•  On Feb. 15 cited Andrew F. McIntire, 25, of Vergennes for driving under the influence of alcohol after stopping his car near the junction of Routes 7 and 22A. Police said another Route 7 motorist had alerted them to a southbound car being driving erratically
•  On Feb. 16 were told more than $20 had been taken from an unlocked car parked on South Maple Street.
•  On Feb. 16 failed to track down two cars that, according to reports, were being operated recklessly on MacDonough Drive.
•  On Feb. 16 ticketed a driver for operating with a civilly suspended license after being alerted by the department license plate reader on North Main Street.
•  On Feb. 16 issued a city drug paraphernalia ticket following a West Main Street traffic stop. A consent search was allowed after a VSP canine alerted on a car stopped for going 45 mph in a 30 mph zone; a speeding ticket was also issued.
•  On Feb. 17 drove home a man under the influence of legal prescription drugs who was parked on North Green Street.
•  On Feb. 17 talked to a Hillside Acres Apartments resident who said she was receiving threats from an ex-boyfriend; police told her how to get a relief-from-abuse order, put her in touch with WomenSafe, and told her to call them with any future problems.